Anxiety/panic attacks???

[nwilliams27]

Hi everyone,im new to this forum n i think I may b experiencing panic attacks. Can anyone tell me the symptoms n what kind of med does a dr usually prescribe for it? By the way my symptoms are: fast heartbeat,sweating heavy,anxious,i feel as if everyone is staring at me. Its usually happens to me when im stressed

[joyfulc]

Thanks so much for those tips. I think I really like the idea of the rubber band and not only that I was wondering if vision and caffeine had any contributing factors to anxiety attacks and your statement helped put an end to that. So Thank You for allowing me to relax a bit today. Nothing like a few minutes of relaxation : )

[benthic_man]

Your symptoms are consistent with anxiety, for certain. I'd suggest that you visit with your doctor as soon as possible to rule out any physical reasons for feeling the way you do. This will also give you the opportunity to be referred to a mental health professional for a more detailed diagnosis of what's going on inside your head.

    There are a lot of medications available to treat anxiety, and the ones that are best for an individual depend on the nature of their problems.  I'm personally not able to take any medication for anxiety, so I was referred to a psychologist who specialized in teaching behavioral techniques for reducing anxiety. Not everyone needs pharmacological assistance in dealing with anxiety- medication is used most often to allow people to function sufficiently so that they can benefit from other therapies such as counseling or self-help techniques. Treatment is tailored to the individual, and what works for one person doesn't always work for another. Finding what works for you takes a little time, but once you've started down the right path, resolution and improvement of your issues becomes much easier.

[lilymoon]

That sounds like an anxiety attack indeed.A doc can prescribe a benzodiazepine,they calm you down but are addictive if you take them lots.Or an ssri non addictive and can help greatly and then there are a few other meds that can help.lily

[nwilliams27]

Thanx alot I will try those tips out to see how they wrk 4 me. Yes u can send me as much info as possible. Also so wat med is prescribed 4 these attacks?

[trdofbeingtrd]

Chances are you are experiencing an anxiety attack or panic attack. There is a chance that you won't need medication. I will post some tips/techniques to help out. You should see a therapist first, if that don't work, it's always good to try one more therapist. If this don't work, chances are you will get a reference to see someone who might give you medication. Please keep us posted.

Ok, there are pre panic tips and full panic tips.

Let's start with the pre panic tips.

A rubber band around the wrist can help if you use it before the anxiety turns into an anxiety attack. As soon as you start to feel weird you snap the rubber band onto your wrist. For some people, this can "snap" (pun intended) them out of going into the anxiety or panic attack.

When you start to feel the anxiety coming on, think of the most odd thoughts you possibly can. Wonder what a star would look like if it were really a circle in disquise.......how many cattapilars would it take to reach from the earth to saturn if they were drinking caffine. Distracting your thoughts with such bizaare thinking will redirect your mind from getting worse.

Sit down on a bench or chair, put your head between your legs, and force yourself to breathe in deeply, and breathe out deeply. It's when the breathing gets to short and quick that the panic gets worse. At first you might feel like you  can't do it, but with practice, you can.

If you wear correctional glasses, take them off. For some reason sight plays into some peoples anxiety problems.

Ok, now for when you are in an actual panic attack.

Cold water on the face, forehead, neck, and wrists can help calm the anxiety or panic down. If it's cold enough, it's kind of like shocking you out of the attack.

To add to the cold water technique, if you are in full blown panic attack, find ice as soon as you can, put it into some kind of rag or cloth, wet it, and rub it all over your head, face, neck, and behind your ears. Again, the cold shocks the mind out of the anxiety.

Here are some tips to prevent the anxiety and or panic attacks.

Stay away from caffine, as a rule, it is the MAIN reason people suffer from anxiety disorder and panic disorder.

Surround yourself with comedy whenever you start to feel off. Laughter is another technique that can fool the brain into concentrating somewhere else.

Keep a herbal tea you made handy when you are out and about. If you want, as long as you make sure it is safe for you, I will send you some "calm down" recipies that are 100% natural and legal.

Also, there are disposable instant cold packs you can buy from 99 cent stores to use for the cold, this makes it easy to find relief when driving, at work, or some other place a sink is not always available.